Flooding destroyed crops and blocked some roads and bridges in Banteay Meanchey province during and after Pchum Ben celebrations this weekend.
On Sunday and Monday, reporters witnessed roads closed to heavy trucks, while police officers blocked bridges for a few days in Poipet City’s Nimit commune to some heavy traffic due to fast-flowing floodwaters. Hospitals were also surrounded by flooding and made difficult to access.
Provincial governor Om Reatrey said on Tuesday that the weeklong flooding and rainfall had affected six of nine districts, including Poipet City and Serei Saophoan City, destroying some crops.
Phnom Srok, Thma Puok, Svay Chek and O’Chrou were the other districts affected, he said, noting that floodwaters now appeared to be subsiding and he did not expect there to be lasting infrastructure damage.
“The authorities and all types of police went to help people in time, and there’s nothing more to be worried about,” Reatrey said.
A local resident, Hean Narong, however, said a small dam at the Okaidon reservoir had been breached in Poipet City since September 27, causing water to flow across National Road 5.
“It is hard to access and there has been damage to some roads near Okaidon,” Narong said.
The Ministry of Water Resources said on Sunday that heavy rain and flooding were expected to continue this week in other provinces, including Kampot, Kampong Speu, Takeo, Kandal, Prey Veng, Svay Rieng and Phnom Penh.
The ministry “calls on citizens to be on alert” until Saturday, it said in a statement.
The country has been hit by widespread flooding over the past few months. According to a National Committee for Disaster Management report last month, 131 communes in 29 districts in Stung Treng, Kratie, Kampong Cham, Tbong Khmum, Preah Vihear, Prey Veng and Kampong Thom provinces were affected by floods in the first two weeks of September. The report said 87,469 families had been affected, with 10,133 of them evacuated, VOD reported.
